Beauty and the Warg
by Dreamality
Summary: On her way to see the Broadway play Beauty and the Beast, Wendy is in a car crash. When she awakes, she's in the one place she's always dreamed of going: Middle-earth. There's just one problem: She's a Warg! (Full summary inside) NOW COMPLETE!
1. The Journey Begins

**Beauty and the Warg**

by Dreamality

**Summary: **On her way to the Broadway play Beauty and the Beast, Wendy is in a car crash. When she awakes, she is in the one place she's always dreamed of going –Middle-earth! But there's just one problem… she's stuck in the body of a Warg until she falls in love! When she meets Legolas just before the Battle of Helm's Deep, can she convince him to love her, beast though she is?

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and all related characters, settings, events, etc. belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinemas. Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney and their associates. The Broadway play belongs to… well, someone who is not me. I make no money from this venture. 

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**Chapter One: The Journey Begins**

Wendy bopped her head and tapped the steering wheel to the beat of the music currently blasting out of her car's stereo speakers. She was singing along under her breath but did not dare sing any louder –she wasn't exactly Christina Aguilera and had been known to crack windows with her off-key singing. But she was so excited that she didn't even notice the strange looks other drivers were giving her for her eclectic dance moves. Wendy was maneuvering through the dangerous Manhattan streets towards Broadway. By the grace of some unknown entity, Wendy had scored tickets to the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast for herself and her best friend!

Wendy was a seventeen year old high school senior who had lived in New York City for ten years. She was tall and good-looking, though like all humans she did have faults. She had plain light brown hair that fell to the middle of her back. It was stick-straight, very thin, and somewhat stringy. She usually wore it in a messy ponytail or bun. Her big eyes were probably her best feature. They were light brown with flecks of green and gold that only showed up in bright sunlight or under a full moon. Wendy had worn glasses until she was fifteen, when her parents had finally agreed to let her get contacts. She had a pleasant smile, as well she should after going through seven years of orthodontics. Her love of coffee gave her teeth a slightly yellow tint, but it was hardly noticeable. Currently her smile was at its widest and brightest. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she came ever nearer to Broadway.

Beauty and the Beast was Wendy's favorite story of all time. When she was little, she dressed as Belle every Halloween, and sometimes coerced her younger brother into playing the Beast. She had gone to prom in an exact replica of Belle's golden ball gown, even dying her light brown hair a few shades darker to match Belle's. Even though she had lived in NYC for so long she had yet to see this play, and now she was finally going! She could hardly contain her excitement –indeed she nearly peed herself in anticipation! Luckily she managed to hold it, although she had a spare pair of pants in the back seat in case of an emergency.

The only thing Wendy liked more than Beauty and the Beast was Lord of the Rings. She had seen all three movies more times than she could remember and had read the books so many times she practically had them memorized. It was the soundtrack for Return of the King that was playing in her car. She had seen ROTK for the fifth time the day before and spent all night dreaming of enchanted Disney princesses ensnaring the attractive Prince of Mirkwood. (There was one odd dream about Arwen falling in love with a beastly Orc, but Wendy just tried to block that one out of memory.)

But Wendy's life was about to take a drastic turn for the worst. She was sitting at a red light, urging it to change to green so she could be on her way. She was about ten minutes away from the designated meeting place she and her friend had a greed on. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity or two, the light turned green. Wendy stepped on the gas, looking ahead towards the bright lights of Broadway. She didn't see the red Mustang come plowing from her left and slam into the driver's side of the car. She didn't hear her own scream. She didn't see the shattered glass or the twisted metal or the blood. 

All she saw was a bright white light, so bright she wished she had sunglasses. There was no pain, no sound, no feeling at all. Only the bright white light. In an instant, her life flashed before her eyes, and then an instant later the entire Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, followed by all three Lord of the Rings movies, flashed through her mind. She later recalled feeling confused at this, but at that moment everything went black and she was rendered unconscious. 

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I know it was short, but this was just exposition. The excitement really begins next chapter. Leave me a review and I'll give you a cookie! Constructive criticism is encouraged. : - ) Have a lovely day!


	2. Warg Attack

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Two: Warg Attack**

A/N: Thank you to my two wonderful reviewers! Disneychic89- Oh what the heck, here's a whole _box_ of cookies for you! Thanks for reviewing! Nightspore- That was kind of my intention. No offense to Mary-Sue authors, but I just can't see how you can write a _serious_ "girl falls into ME" story. Glad you liked the beginning!

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and all related characters, settings, events, etc. belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinemas. Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney and their associates. The Broadway play belongs to… well, someone who is not me. I make no money from this venture.

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 Wendy groaned, rolling from her side onto her back. The bright white light was gone, replaced by a dull red glow. She blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up so she could figure out where in the world she was. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she was able to see quite clearly, so she sat up and had a look around.

 If she didn't know better, Wendy would have sworn she was in the middle of Hell.  But that didn't make sense. Wendy had always been a pretty good person, or so she had believed. She went to church on a fairly regular basis, stayed away from drugs, avoided alcohol for the most part, and didn't partake in (m)any sinful activities. Why should she be in Hell? But the evidence was right there in front of her eyes –everything was black and looked as though it had been crafted by the hands of demons. She seemed to be far underground, yet if she peered upward she could barely glimpse a small patch of blue sky. 

 The sound of metal clanking against metal met her ears, making her cringe and close her eyes again. Her head was pounding painfully, and the dull roar in here was _not_ helping. It sounded like fires were consuming the place, and the heat made sweat roll off her. She wondered vaguely if her car had exploded and she was going to die a fiery death, alone and scared.

 But then she realized she wasn't inside a car. There was no leather upholstery, rubber floor mats, or thick glass window shield. No motor purring reassuringly or ROTK soundtrack soothing her nerves. A roar, like that of a lion or tiger or bear (oh my!), made her jump. She turned around quickly, feeling oddly clumsy and encumbered, and found herself staring into the face of a creature straight from her nightmares.

 It was a Warg, one of the huge, shaggy, fearsome wolves from Tolkien's books that ate townspeople and allied themselves with goblins and would probably find the taste of little girl quite enjoyable. 

 Wendy did the only thing that seemed natural –she screamed bloody murder.

 Except, when she opened her mouth, what came out was a far cry from the shrill scream most girls are blessed with. Instead, she heard herself let out a roar not unlike the Warg's. Shocked, she snapped her mouth shut quickly, and was surprised to feel more power in that 'snap' than made sense. She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt the points of fangs.

 With eyes wide with horror, Wendy lifted up one of her hands before her face. It was no longer smooth and hairless. What she saw before her could only be described as a paw –large and claw-tipped and padded thickly on the underside. Looking down, she did not see a feminine shape covered tastefully with attractive clothes from the boutique near her house. Instead, she saw a huge animal's body, covered with thick fur of both dark and light brown. Instead of her two long shapely legs she had worked so hard for, she saw _four_ thick, hairy legs. Worst of all, there was nothing on her that was "womanly" in any way. 

 After a moment of staring in shocked silence at her new body, Wendy screamed –er, roared– again in horror and outrage. The Warg in front of her stared at her quizzically.

 "What's your problem?" he growled. Wendy looked at him in surprise.

 "I didn't know Wargs spoke English," she said.

 "Whaddya mean? Did ye go stupid when ye hit yer head there?" the Warg asked. 

 Wendy realized that was she was hearing wasn't "speaking" as we would recognize it. Wargs seemed to communicate with various growls, snuffles, barks, and roars. The translation was heard inside Wendy's mind, and when she spoke, she only heard her own voice inside her head. The other Warg heard her own growls, barks, etc.

 "Uh, sorry, I guess I was just a little confused. So what's happening?" Wendy asked. She had begun to notice that she far from being alone in this place. There were many other Wargs rooting about in the dirt, no doubt trying to find a discarded bone or perhaps a forgotten bit of meat. There were also goblins, huge warrior goblins. These Orcs were strapping some sort of saddle onto the backs of the other Wargs.

 "Gettin' ready for battle," the other Warg growled. "There's some filthy Men nearby that the Master wants us to get rid of."

 Suddenly one of the Orcs approached Wendy. He threw a small saddle over her back and slipped a crude bridle over her head. Then he quickly leapt onto her back, jerking painfully on the bit in her mouth.

 "Let's ride!" one Orc yelled. He seemed to be the leader. As soon as all the Orcs were mounted on a Warg, the Wargs galloped out of Isenguard, over the plains, towards battle.

 Meanwhile, across the plains, a tall, fair Elf known as Legolas stood looking over the land from his perch on a boulder. Something was amiss. He could not shake the feeling that evil was approaching. 

 Two of King Théoden's Riders rode ahead of the company. Their horses balked, sensing some unseen terror. Suddenly, from the ledge above, an Orc riding a Warg attacked. One of the Riders fell, and the Warg made quick work of putting an end to his pain. The other Rider drew his sword, shouting a warning to the people behind him.

 Legolas quickly drew his bow, leaping down from the boulder he stood upon. An arrow flew with deadly accuracy, lodging itself in the Orc's back. The Orc fell and the Warg ran off. Legolas slit the Orc's throat, yelling back to Aragorn, who had come to see what the commotion was.

 "A scout!"

 Aragorn turned and ran back to tell the King. Everything after that happened very quickly. Eowyn, the king's niece,  was ordered to lead the women and children on to Helm's Deep. The Rohirrim warriors rode on to meet the army of Wargs head on. Legolas' arrows were already flying until Gimli, on Arod, caught up. Legolas mounted and rode at the front of the line with Théoden and Aragorn at his side. 

 Many Orcs and their horrid mounts fell under sword, axe, and arrow. Yet many brave Riders of Rohan also fell. Legolas tried not to let himself think about anything but the battle at hand. He ignored the tortured yells of his comrades-in-arms as the crooked swords of these demons of Isenguard slashed at them. Legolas slew many with both his bow and his twin knives. His horse was brave and true and did not flinch at being so close to these Wargs, allowing Legolas to ride up from behind and kill the Orcs before they could kill one of his friends. 

 The minutes spent in battle flew by. Soon there were few Wargs left, and most of the Orcs lay fatally wounded or dead on the ground. Any Orc still mounted fled quickly back to Isenguard in defeat. The Riders of Rohan had prevailed, but at great cost.

 Legolas' last arrow killed an Orc as it charged straight at him. As soon as the Orc fell, the Warg it rode skidded to a stop, only a few feet away from Legolas. He drew his knives, preparing to kill this beast without a second thought.

 But as he ran towards the Warg, something in its eyes made Legolas stop. The Warg made a pathetic sort of whiny sound, like a caged animal wishing to be freed. For the first time in his many long years as a warrior, Legolas faltered. His knives stopped short of lodging themselves in the Warg's hide. 

 Ignoring the ugly, hideous face, Legolas stared at the Warg's jet black eyes. In the few other Warg eyes he had been close enough to see, there burned a fire of pure hatred. But these eyes were soft and pleading, almost as if the Warg was saying, "Please. Please, I need to live."

 No blood dripped from this Warg's face. Legolas had the feeling that this was not one that had caused his fellow warriors any pain, and indeed did not wish to. But if he did not kill this animal, another would, so what would be the point in leaving it alive?

 Legolas raised his knives again, ready to deal the killing blow. But the Warg whined again, cringing in fear. Legolas lowered his knives.

 "Pretend you are dead. Do not move. If you cause any harm to any of the warriors allied with me, I will bring you a swift death. But if you remain here, unmoving, I will return for you," Legolas whispered. The Warg nodded with understanding and rolled over as if dead. Legolas ran off to help with the last few struggles going on.

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Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing. : - )


	3. Lady Draugwen

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Three: Lady Draugwen**

**A/N:** Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I left a little message for you all at the bottom of the chapter. ****

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and all related characters, settings, events, etc. belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinemas. Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney and their associates. The Broadway play belongs to… well, someone who is not me. I make no money from this venture.

Important A/N: For the purposes of my story, Aragorn did not fall off a cliff during the Warg attack. Thought I ought to mention that in case some people were confused.

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The weary Rohirrim marched on towards Helm's Deep. Many were wounded, and all were grieved for those they had to leave behind. Legolas rode at the front with Aragorn and Théoden, Gimli mounted behind him. His mind kept straying back to the Warg he had left alive. He felt so sorry for it. It seemed to have been forced into battle against its will, and wanted only to get out of it as quickly as possible. Legolas wanted to go back to it and learn more about it.

Pressing his heels lightly to Arod's sides, the white horse jogged up next to Aragorn's, making the Dwarf grumble as he bounced uncomfortably. 

"Aragorn, my quiver is empty. With your leave, I would go back and refill it, if another mount could be found for Gimli," Legolas said.

Aragorn glanced at the ever-present quiver strapped to Legolas' back. Only two arrows, slightly bent and stained with the foul blood of Orcs, stood in it. Aragorn nodded. "Gimli can ride with me. Go on, Legolas, but hurry to Helm's Deep!"

As soon as Gimli was on the ground, Legolas wheeled Arod on his hindquarters and galloped back over the hill, back to the site of battle.  

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Wendy lay on her side, trying to be as still as possible. She couldn't see anything but a few dead Orcs and Wargs, but she heard thundering hooves as the Riders galloped away to Helm's Deep. She waited a few minutes after the hoof beats faded away until she rolled over to her other side, then sat up on her haunches. All around her lay dead or dying Orcs, Wargs, and even Riders of Rohan. The heat of the sun caused the carcasses to stink, and a sudden feeling of nausea made Wendy lay back down. Her eyes fluttered closed and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. 

A light breeze picked up, cooling Wendy's body a little. She mentally cursed the thick, coarse fur of these Wargs and wished she could just shave it all off. Her tongue lolled from her mouth and her breathing became panting as she lay under the midday sun. She became aware of a voice floating to her on the breeze… 

Perhaps it was the sun playing tricks with her mind, but Wendy thought she heard the voice of some enchantress calling to her, saying:

 "Wendy… Wendy… you have been given a second chance…"

"Huh?" Wendy mumbled. Or at least, that's what she would have mumbled if she was capable of speaking English. Instead it was more of a grunt.

"You should have perished in the car crash, but in the moment of impact a portal was opened. You were brought to Middle-earth instead of passing on," the voice explained. Wendy looked around her, but the voice was coming from some unseen being. "You will be stuck as a huge, ugly, hideous, frightening, revolting,  terrifying, hated, repulsive, dreadful, terrible–" 

"Okay okay, I get the point!" Wendy interrupted. It sounded more like "bark bark, growl grunt snuffle growl!"

"Sorry," the voice apologized, understanding the gist of her Warg-speak. "You will be stuck as a wolf of Isenguard until you find true love. You are not limited to other Wargs, any creature of Middle-earth will do. But it is true love's first kiss that will release you from this spell. As soon as you share a kiss with the one you love, you will be transformed back into your normal state. Good luck!" With that, the voice faded off and Wendy was left in silence.

_True love?!_ She thought. _Who in their right mind would fall in love with **me**? I'm a Warg, for crying out loud! One of the most loathed and feared creatures in Middle-earth! I'll be stuck like this forever!_

Wendy began to weep. She was tired, hot, itchy, and more than anything, she was homesick. She almost wished Legolas _had_ killed her, just to put her out of her misery. 

With a jolt, Wendy remembered. Legolas! He said he would come back! In her mind's eye she saw blue eyes filled with compassion and understanding. Wendy had never really been a Legolas fan girl; she was more of a Hobbit fancier herself. But in the moment that Legolas chose to spare her life, Wendy felt her heart lurch in her large barrel chest, and she saw why so many girls were obsessed with this fair-haired Elven prince. 

Wendy sniffled and rolled from her back to her side, curling into the fetal position. She wished she still had a thumb to suck. Tears still leaked out of her beady black eyes, wetting the fur on her face. 

Unbeknownst to Wendy, there was one Orc still alive that was not quite fatally wounded. He had escaped notice in the same way she had, by playing dead. Then, seeing that one of his Warg friends was still alive, he began to crawl towards her. He had a broken leg and an arrow wound in his side, but he was not about to lie there rotting in the sun next to a stinking Man. While Wendy cried to herself, he came closer to her, and suddenly grabbed fistfuls of the thick fur on her back. 

She roared in surprise, rolling over quickly. The Orc didn't let go and was brought over with her, still hanging on to the fur on her back.

"There there little one, it's all right," the Orc sneered, making fun of the fact that Wendy was a little bit smaller than most of her fellow Wargs. "Come on, it's all right, just let me get up on your back. You can take me back to the Master."

Wendy's vision was blurry with tears and her stomach turned from being so near this Orc, who stank of blood, sweat, and filth. He suddenly grabbed the reins and yanked on her mouth, trying to get her to stand up. She winced at the pain. Her original rider had been very heavy with his hands and the rough metal bit had cut her lips, and now this Orc was reopening the wounds. Wendy finally snapped.

With a roar of pain, anger, and frustration, she leapt to her feet. She reared up on her hind legs, sending the surprised Orc flying off her back. As soon as her front paws touched the ground again she bounded away, leaping over the bodies strewn over the plain and in the direction that the Rohirrim had gone. 

More tears leaked out of her eyes, making breathing while galloping at full speed even harder, but Wendy did not stop until she saw an Elven warrior mounted on a white horse emerge over the crest of a hill ahead of her. He was surprised to see the Warg and reflexively drew his bow. But when the Warg stopped and cowered in fear, holding one paw over its head, Legolas stopped. 

Wendy peeked one eye over her large paw and saw that Legolas was dismounting. He showed her that he was laying his bow down on the ground, along with his knives. Then he slowly approached her.

Wendy uncovered her eyes and sat back on her haunches. She kept her lips tightly closed to hide her hideous fangs and tried, unsuccessfully, to reduce the bristling of the fur along her back. It was just stuck like that.

"Why do you run, little Warg?" Legolas whispered.

"I wanted to get away from the Orcs. They smell so bad. And I was so scared, laying amongst all those dead things," Wendy said, sniffling. Legolas took a step back, eyeing her warily, and she realized how threatening the language of Wargs sounded. So she shut her mouth and tried to convey an apology with her eyes alone.

"Are you trying to talk to me, little Warg?" Legolas asked. Wendy nodded vigorously and Legolas chuckled. "I wish I could understand you. How is it that you understand my words?"

"I don't know," Wendy said, shrugging. Legolas sighed. 

"I wonder if you can speak Elvish as well," Legolas said in his native tongue.

Wendy shook her head to convey that she could not understand what Legolas said. He nodded and said in the Common Tongue, "I would not expect a Warg to know the language of the Eldar. Little Warg…" Legolas paused, frowning.  "I do now know what else to call you."

"My name is Wendy," Wendy said, but of course all Legolas heard was "woof, bark, grunt, growl."

"With your leave, good sir–" Legolas was interrupted by an angry growl from Wendy. He frowned and asked, "What have I done to upset you?"

 Wendy growled again, shaking her head. Legolas could call her whatever he wanted _except_ a "sir." Warg or not, Wendy was not going to sacrifice her femininity. 

"Are you saying you are not a good sir?" Legolas joked, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Wendy shook her head harder.

"You… you are not a sir!" Legolas said with sudden understanding.

Wendy nodded.

"My apologies, kind lady! I did not know there were she-Wargs! Well then with your leave, my good lady, I will call you 'Draugwen,' meaning 'wolf maiden' in my language," Legolas said. Wendy nodded. She liked that name, especially the way Legolas said it in his soft, deep voice. "Draugwen, if you wish to journey with me, we must first return to the battleground. I need to refill my quiver with arrows. Then we ride to Helm's Deep."

Wendy nodded to say that she did want to go with Legolas. She wasn't looking forward to going back to all those Orcs and Wargs, but she felt safer with Legolas. But it was Arod, his horse, that was the most nervous of the three. Being so close to a Warg was really unsettling him. Wendy looked at him with sympathy. He couldn't understand that Wendy was not about to hurt him. Legolas also noticed Arod's nervousness and went to try to comfort the poor animal.

Before Wendy lived in NYC, she and her family had lived with her mother's sister on a ranch in Texas. She had grown up with horses and was quite skilled with them. She had spent every summer at the ranch since moving to New York, so she had never lost her touch. It nearly broke Wendy's heart to see a horse so scared of her. She desperately wanted to comfort it, but she didn't want to cause him to bolt.

Slowly, Wendy lumbered over to the horse, making soft noises in her throat that sounded almost like purring. When Arod started dancing around she stopped, keeping her stance as non-threatening as a Warg could manage. Arod stopped, eyeing her with eyes rimmed with white, showing his fear. He snorted and Legolas put a hand on his muzzle, soothing him. 

"Milady, I wonder what you are doing," Legolas said, knowing it would be pointless to ask since he wouldn't understand her answer. Wendy looked at him but said nothing, taking another few steps towards Arod. She lifted one large paw and set it on Arod's sweaty neck. He whinnied nervously but did not pull away. Wendy began to purr again. Keeping the claws on her paw well away from Arod she began to stroke his neck, albeit awkwardly. Amazingly, the horse began to relax.

"You are truly an amazing creature," Legolas said softly, staring at Wendy in wonderment. She glanced at him and their eyes met. For a moment they were frozen like that: Wendy's paw on Arod's neck and Legolas' hand on his nose. Then Wendy smiled, baring her fangs, and Legolas looked away, a little frightened. Wendy barely managed to hold in a fresh wave of tears.

There was no _way_ anyone was ever going to fall in love with her.

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MP3girl4eva- Spiffy!!!!! I love that word. No worries, I won't be giving up on this story anytime soon. 

Empress Guinevere Sparrow- Thank you for your review! I'm glad it impressed you. 

Maria2004-  Thank you! I update whenever I finish the chapter two ahead, if that makes sense, and that's usually every day or every other day. 

Lobo Diablo Lone Wolf – Thank you for reviewing!

So that's chapter three, please review and tell me what you thought. Thank you!


	4. At Helm's Deep

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Seven: At Helm's Deep**

A/N: To everyone who has reviewed thus far: **THANK YOU!! **Messages for you at the bottom.

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and all related characters, settings, events, etc. belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinemas. Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney and their associates. The Broadway play belongs to… well, someone who is not me. I make no money from this venture.

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 Legolas, mounted on Arod, and Wendy returned to the place where the Wargs had attacked the people of Rohan. Legolas hurriedly recollected his arrows, since they were pressed for time. Wendy also helped him as best she could, which he greatly appreciated. When they were ready to return, Legolas paused just before he was about to remount Arod. He looked at Wendy, a little sheepishly.

 "Draugwen…" he stopped, but Wendy nudged his shoulder with her nose, telling him to go on. "This is perhaps a strange request, but would it be possible for me to ride you to Helm's Deep? I am very interested in seeing the differences between riding a Warg and riding a horse." 

 In answer, Wendy simply kneeled down so Legolas could climb on easier. But before he climbed aboard her back, he took off her bridle, much to her liking. Now there was no bit to add further discomfort to her sore mouth.

 "Since you can understand me, there is no need for reins to control you. Now quickly, Draugwen, away to Helm's Deep!" Legolas yelled. Wendy bounded away, galloping across the plains. Legolas yelled over his shoulder, "Arod, aphado nin!" and the white horse came galloping with them. Arod, follow me!

 Legolas, being an Elf, was wonderfully lightweight, especially compared to the huge Orc with his excessive armor that Wendy had previously carried. Wendy's large paws made it easier for her to maneuver across the rocky and hilly terrain, and her powerful legs soon gave her a lead on Arod. They caught up to Théoden and his men even before the warriors reached Helm's Deep. 

 "King Théoden, there is a Warg coming!" yelled one of the men from the back of the troupe. Théoden turned quickly and saw that the man was right, there was indeed a small Warg coming towards his men. A few drew their bows, but Aragorn quickly stopped them.

 "Legolas is riding that Warg!" Aragorn yelled. As soon as the words left his mouth they all saw a white horse following Legolas and the Warg. "And there is Arod. Strange things are happening! I do not like this!"

 As soon as Legolas reached the Riders he went right up to Aragorn. A few of the men yelled in fright and some took steps backwards as if hoping they could outrun the Warg that was now in their midst. The horses began to prance nervously and whinny in fear until they saw that Arod had no fear in being close to the terrifying beast. 

 "Legolas, what is the meaning of this?" Gimli asked from his seat behind Aragorn on Hasufel. 

 "Greetings, my friends. I am sorry for taking so long, but I met this Warg along the way and stopped to see what she was doing," Legolas explained.

 "She? I did not know Wargs even had gender," Théoden commented, his brow furrowed.

 "Well this one does. I would like you all to meet Draugwen. She is my friend now and has sworn that as long as no man harms her, she will not bring harm to any of my friends," Legolas said, directing his comments to the entire company. They all stared at him in disbelief and utter incomprehension.

 "What do you mean, she is your 'friend?' How can a Warg be a friend? They are ruthless bloodthirsty servants of Saruman!" Gimli demanded. Wendy started to sniffle again, and a few mistook that as a threatening growl.

 "Stay back! Stay back, men! Legolas, I order you to kill this Warg right now before it kills one of us!" Théoden commanded. But Legolas refused to kill Wendy.

 "King Théoden, please, just give her a chance. Look into her eyes and you will see that she is not like the other Wargs who kill and slaughter mercilessly," Legolas pleaded. 

 Théoden dismounted and stepped in front of Wendy. Although on the inside he was frightened of being so close to a beast so large, he stood straight and tall. Wendy was impressed by his kingly stature and, to be respectful, she bowed low. With a laugh, Legolas tumbled off of her. Even Théoden cracked a smile, but quickly stifled it.

 "Draugwen, Lady of the Wargs, do you swear, upon pain of death, that you will not attack or do any harm to any of my people without reason?" Théoden asked, looking Wendy right in the eye. His hard stare made her shiver slightly. She nodded solemnly, holding her right paw to her heart. 

 Théoden really did smile, a full smile that made Wendy want to smile back. (But she didn't, remembering Legolas' reaction to her smile.) "Well then welcome, Lady Draugwen, friend of Rohan!"

 Wendy bowed low again, then licked Théoden's hand. It was the only way she could think of to convey her thanks. A few man put their hands to the hilts of their swords, fearing that this beast was about to make a snack of their king. But Théoden just laughed. 

 "You are welcome, Lady Draugwen," he said. "Now, onward, men! To Helm's Deep!"

 Théoden led the remaining Riders of Rohan towards Helm's Deep. Legolas quickly remounted Wendy and the two of them rode near the back of the pack so as not to upset the horses or riders. Arod cantered alongside them. 

 When they came to Helm's Deep, Wendy was put in the stables with the other horses. Théoden did not want to cause a panic amongst the women and children by bringing her into the caves. It was somewhat cramped, since the stalls were designed to fit only normal-sized horses, but there was straw on the floor and cool water to drink, so Wendy wasn't complaining. Being a Ring geek, she already knew what the outcome of the battle would be, so she wasn't frightened, even when she heard explosions and loud footsteps seemingly very close to the stables. She wondered vaguely if the Lórien Elves had come, as they had in the movie, but otherwise relaxed in the warm straw without a care in the world.

 The one thing worrying Wendy was the small matter of finding true love so she could get out of this horrid Warg body. 

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A/N: Please leave me a review on your way out! Thank you for reading!

Review replies:

Wolf of Gondor- I'm glad you like my version of Beauty and the Beast. Thanks for reviewing!

Forty Names, None the Same- Dude, thanks for reviewing! I hope the reaction was to your liking. : - )

DragonFly- I'm sorry your computer was being a butt (I know the feeling) but thank you for overcoming your difficulties and leaving me a review! I'm glad you like the story.

Squeaker- Thanks for reviewing!

MP3girl4eva- Woo you're my most faithfullest reviewer! Hahaha you're spiffy! Savvy? Thank you!

Empress Guinevere Sparrow- I'm glad you like this little twisted Beauty and the Beast. Thank you for reviewing!

Maria2004- You can call her whatever you want as long as you review! Haha thank you so much for reviewing my story!

Scifiphantisigurl911- Wow, three reviews in one go! You rock, lol! Trust me, this story isn't your average Legomance. *cue maniacal laughter* But that's not the point. The point is, thank you for reviewing!

**THANK YOU ALL!**


	5. On the Road Again

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Five: On the Road Again**

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay, but to make up for it here's a somewhat longer chapter than I usually write. Hope you enjoy! Reviewer comments are at the bottom. A great big huge whopping THANK YOU to everyone who's reading!

**Disclaimer: **Lord of the Rings and all related characters, settings, events, etc. belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinemas. Beauty and the Beast belongs to Disney and their associates. The Broadway play belongs to… well, someone who is not me. I make no money from this venture.

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 Wendy stayed in her little stall in the stable for two days. She busied herself by counting the cobbles on the floor (she got up to 2,367 before she lost count) and trying to talk to the other horses. The most response she ever got was a loud snort of fear, so Wendy gave that up pretty quickly. 

 Finally, in the early evening of the second day, the stable doors banged open and happy, celebratory warriors came in. They each went to their own horse's stall, where they were greeted with nuzzles and whinnies of joy. Sadly, Wendy turned her back on the celebrations so she didn't have to see the warriors give her nervous or outright frightened stares. 

 But then she heard a voice. A quiet, soothing voice. She lifted her head, sure it couldn't be talking to her, but she was curious all the same.

 "Good evening, Lady Draugwen. I hope you can forgive me for leaving you here for so long, but we had a slight problem to deal with above," the voice was saying, a slight laugh embedded in the speech. Slowly, Wendy turned around and found Legolas leaning casually on the half-door of her stall, smiling charmingly. He looked weary, but happy. Wendy stepped towards him hesitantly, as if fearing that he would run away in terror. But he did not.

 Instead, Legolas raised one hand and placed it on her large, hairy shoulder. He ruffled the fur there, smiled, and looked Wendy right in the eyes.

 "You know, it's funny," he commented. Wendy cocked her head quizzically, begging him to explain. "In all my long years on this earth, I have never had such a connection to anyone so quickly. I only met you yesterday, yet I already feel as though we've known each other for centuries. Perhaps this is some devilry of Saruman's… but if it is, I'm not complaining."

 Legolas stood like that for nearly a full three minutes, just rubbing Wendy's shoulder and smiling into her eyes. Only by sheer force of will did Wendy keep from melting into a huge puddle of Warg right then and there. But then Gimli, that meddling Dwarf, had to come up and ruin the moment.

 "Legolas! Aragorn has been looking for you. He and Théoden are trying to decide their next move," Gimli said in his loud, gruff voice. Legolas blinked, shook his head, and quickly removed his hand from Wendy. Feeling disappointed, Wendy bowed her head and turned away.

 "Thank you, Gimli. I will go see him straight away. Draugwen…"

 Wendy looked at Legolas hopefully.

 "I'll… ahem… well, see you around." With that, Legolas made a quick departure. Wendy's head bowed again. When she glanced up again, Gimli was still there, looking at her oddly.

 "I don't know what you've done to that Elf, but it's certainly put him in an odd mood. Just don't hurt him, we need that bow of his," Gimli requested. His tone was solemn, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

 Wendy nodded, laughing. Unlike her smile, her laugh did not send warriors fleeing in panic. It was a low rumble that came from deep in her chest, and it made Gimli smile, which in turn caused a warm feeling to spread all through Wendy. Gimli gave her giant head a pat before he took off after Legolas.

  Very early the next morning, the Riders of Rohan returned for their horses, this time not for a celebration but to prepare for another journey. Wendy felt out-of-place and curled up in a corner, trying not to scare anyone with her ugliness. But then a lovely face appeared in the doorway, smiling at her. Wendy leapt up, energized with the happiness she felt. It was Legolas. 

 "Suilaid, Lady Draugwen!" he said exuberantly. "There's an Elvish greeting for you. I hope you slept well! I am sorry these were the only accommodations we could find for you."

 Wendy licked his hand in an effort to tell him she appreciated it all the same, too small for her or not.

 "Well, the battle was successful, and Helm's Deep is secure. But Théoden is eager to get moving, so we make for Isenguard today. A place I'm sure you know quite well," Legolas said.

 Wendy shuddered, remembering the hellish place. Legolas looked at her with concern.

 "I am sure Saruman does not treat his servants kindly. He does not strike me as the type that would love his beasts as the Rohirrim do," Legolas said, softly and empathetically. Wendy looked around at the warriors who were speaking to their horses in soft tones, giving them thorough a grooming and plenty of treats before asking them to bear them once more under saddle. She looked again at Legolas and shook her head, touching the wounds in her mouth with her tongue. The sharp pain made her wince, which deepened Legolas' frown of concern.

 "Are you hurt, Draugwen?" Legolas asked. Wendy shook her head, but Legolas opened the stall door and slipped inside, taking her head in his hands. "Open your mouth, please. Let me help you."

 Feeling those piercing pools of deep blue boring into her, Wendy had no choice but to comply. She stretched open her mouth, baring her saliva-dripping fangs. (She always seemed to produce more spit whenever Legolas was around; it was the strangest occurrence!) Legolas did not flinch when he saw those fangs. But when he noticed the two cuts on either side of her mouth he did cringe in sympathy.

 "Those look quite painful," he said. "I am sorry I did not see to these before." Legolas turned and saw a young boy, one of the stable attendants, walking past carrying a bridle. He stopped him and requested that he bring warm water steeped with some herb whose name Wendy did not recognize, as well as a cloth. The boy nodded, giving Wendy a strange look when Legolas' back was turned. Wendy curled her lip in the merest hint of a snarl, making the boy move his feet twice as fast.

 "Are you in much pain, Lady Draugwen?" Legolas asked. Wendy shook her head. "I must see to Arod. I have given him to Gimli so that I can ride you, if that is all right with you." Wendy nodded. "Unfortunately, Gimli is too short to saddle him, so while that boy is preparing the wash for your cuts, I will assist him."

 Legolas left Wendy alone in her stall once more. She sighed contentedly, keeping in her mind the image of his compassionate eyes looking at her with concern and worry. He actually _cared_ about her! She was one step closer to becoming human again. 

 When Legolas returned, he had with him a small wooden bowl and a scrap of white cloth. He entered the stall and shut the door tightly behind him, apparently not noticing that Gimli had been following him. The Dwarf stared at the Elf's back indignantly, making Wendy giggle. Legolas looked at her curiously, then glanced behind him.

 "Oh, Gimli, I'm sorry! I did not mean to slam the door in your face. Did you want to come in?" Legolas asked with false niceness. 

 "I just wanted to make sure the Lady Draugwen was all right, if that's fine with you," Gimli answered gruffly.

 "I'm sorry Gimli, but this stall is barely big enough for Draugwen, much less Draugwen, myself, _and_ a Dwarf," Legolas pointed out. Gimli huffed angrily but saw that the Elf was correct, so he just leaned against the door to watch.

 Legolas wet a corner of the rag and asked Wendy to open her mouth, which she did. Gently he wiped away the dried blood with the warm, wet cloth, ignoring the foul stench issuing from her mouth.

 "Legolas," said a new voice. Legolas glanced behind him, keeping the cloth in place in Wendy's mouth. She peered over the end of her nose and saw Aragorn standing next to Gimli.

 "Yes, Aragorn?" Legolas asked, a little irritably.

 "Théoden and the other Riders are ready to go. We await only yourself and Master Gimli," Aragorn informed the Elf.

 "Give me a moment, I will meet you out there. Actually, why don't you go ahead and start without me. You saw yesterday how swift Draugwen is. We will catch up in no time," Legolas suggested.

 "If you're sure…" Aragorn said hesitantly.

 "Oh, go on," Legolas said with a wave of his hand.

 "Fine. Come along, Gimli, I will help you mount Arod," Aragorn said.

 "Actually, Aragorn, why don't I stay here with Legolas? It would be safer if we traveled together, don't you think?" Gimli asked.

 "If that is your wish. I expect to see you both within a few hours," Aragorn said before striding out of the stables.

 "Gimli, I'm sure Draugwen and I can handle the journey on our own," Legolas said through gritted teeth. He had been looking forward to a ride alone with his new friend and did not want a Dwarf up in the middle of it all.

 "Nonsense, Legolas, you might get lost," Gimli said.

 "You don't know the way any better than I!" Legolas pointed out, his voice raised slightly.

 Wendy cleared her throat. She was getting tired of sitting there with her mouth hanging open and hoped to attract Legolas' attention. She only succeeded in sparking a new argument.

 "Now look here Legolas, you're doing it all wrong. Let me show you how to properly clean a wound," Gimli said, opening the stall door and stepping inside. He tried to grab the cloth out of Legolas' hand, but Legolas jerked his hand away. Wendy closed her mouth, then opened it again and closed it with a snap, trying to stretch the stiff jaw muscles.

 "I am doing just _fine_, Gimli, I do not need your so-called 'help!'" Legolas argued. "Come on now, Draugwen, just open your mouth and let me clean those nasty cuts. I shudder to think of a kind beast such as yourself being handled so roughly by those Orcs."

 Wendy opened her mouth, allowing Legolas to clean off the other side of her mouth. She winced; there was some medicine in the water that made the cuts sting.

 "You're hurting her, Legolas! Don't rub so hard!" Gimli insisted.

 Legolas resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply concentrated on the task at hand. Gimli hovered worriedly over his shoulder until Legolas was finished.

 "Now look what you've done, they're bleedin' again!" Gimli said.

 "It's only a drop of blood, Gimli, please calm down before you upset her!" Legolas said, glaring at the Dwarf.

 Wendy looked back and forth between the two. From what she understood, these two ought to be good friends. The Battle of Helm's Deep occurred well after their stay in Lórien, when Tolkien had documented their budding friendship. Why were they all of a sudden bickering like little children? She nudged Legolas' shoulder and jerked her head towards the door, signaling that it was time to go.

 "The Lady is correct, we should be on our way. Come, Gimli, and allow me to help you mount Arod," Legolas said, rising gracefully to his full height.

 "Shouldn't we give her time to rest? Surely she is still in pain after such rough treatment," Gimli said.

 "Now Gimli, I treated her as gently as I could! I know the medicine in the water must have hurt a bit, and for that, Lady Draugwen, I am deeply sorry. But a little bit of pain in her mouth will not affect her ability to run, seeing as I have no need of bridle nor bit!" Legolas said, his exasperation evident.

 "Why don't you let _her_ decide, rather than speaking for her?" Gimli demanded.

 Both Dwarf and Elf looked at Wendy expectantly. She stared back at them blankly, wondering how they expected her to respond when she couldn't speak their language and they couldn't understand hers. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she simply pushed past them, through the open door, and to the main door of the stable.

 Gimli and Legolas exchanged a look, shrugged, and followed, grabbing Arod on the way out. When everyone was ready, Gimli on Arod and Legolas on Wendy, the foursome galloped away towards Isenguard. Legolas kept a tight, though not uncomfortably so, hold on the thick fur on Wendy's back. His head was near her ears, and she felt his breath on her as they rode. For some reason she felt all warm and tingly inside, and she was hyper-aware of how Legolas was touching her.

 At the same time, she heard Gimli's loud breathing to her left, and his occasional grumbles of "are we there yet?" and "this horse is too big!" made her giggle inwardly. 

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Reviewer Replies:

**Wolf of Gondor: **I am indeed following the book more closely because I feel it moves along and gets to the places I want to get to a little faster than the movie, i.e. Isenguard. Arod doesn't necessarily understand Elvish, but all Elves have a bond with nature so I think Arod would _feel_ his call more than actually _understand_ the words. But Brego seemed to understand Aragorn in the EE of TTT, so you never know. As for the Wargs, I based the ones in my story on the movie versions because I figured that's what everyone would think of, but I do love the book Wargs. I'm reading The Hobbit right now (almost done!:-) and I really liked the part when they (the Dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf) were trapped in the trees by the Wargs. Wow, long reply, better move on. Thank you so much for your comments!

**MP3girl4eva:** Yay, I'm always happy to see a review from you! I'm glad you liked that chapter and thank you so much for saying this is your favorite Legomance! I should warn you, though, I'm planning a few twists and turns along the way. *evil grin* Thank you!! (BTW- I'm working on my POTC story and I'm working you in for a cameo. No idea when it'll be done, though)

**DragonFly: **Yuck, viruses suck. I'm glad your computer let you in to read the chapter, though! Thank you so much for reviewing!

**Scifiphantisigurl911: **Thank you so much for reviewing again! I think the way Wendy finds love will surprise you… at least I hope so… can't give away anything now, though!

**Almost Funny: **Hmm, that's an interesting idea. Her paws are pretty big and since she doesn't have flexible fingers it would be pretty difficult, though. I guess we'll see, huh? Thank you for reviewing!

**Maria2004: **Thank you for reading my story! That reminds me, I think I have a few chapters of Freaking Family to catch up on, don't I? I'll head over there soon. I'm glad you liked that chapter!

**Tinánia Legolinde: **I love your name, it's very pretty! I'm really happy you like my story! Someone else suggested having her write with her nails, it's a very good idea. Maybe it will occur to her to do that. Ya never know…

**Empress Guinevere Sparrow:** Aye matey, pirate moments rock! lol thank you for reviewing, it makes me so happy!

**Tasyin:** Glad you like the story! ; - ) Thank you for reviewing!

**THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!**


	6. Welcome to Isenguard

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Six: Welcome to Isenguard**

A/N: Dialogue followed by two asterisks (**) are Tolkien's words, not mine, from The Two Towers, Chapter Eight, "The Road to Isenguard." It fit well to include the conversation; you'll see what I mean.

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 Legolas, Gimli, and Wendy caught up with the Rohirrim about three miles outside of Isenguard. More whispers of fear and a little awe followed Legolas and Wendy as they pushed their way through the crowd of soldiers to the front. They sought out Aragorn, Théoden, Gandalf, and Eomer, the latter two having joined the cavalry during the Battle of Helm's Deep. 

 "Legolas! What is the meaning of this? You are riding a _Warg_!" Eomer exclaimed, as if Legolas couldn't tell.

 "It is all right, Eomer. I have befriended this Warg. She is quite tame," Legolas assured him.

 "She?" Gandalf queried, one eyebrow raised in obvious doubt.

 Wendy resisted the urge to snarl at him and settled on letting her tongue loll out, which allowed a bit of spit to be caught by the wind and fly onto Gandalf's leg. He made a disgusted face and wiped it off with the cuff of his sleeve. 

 "Yes, _she_. This is Lady Draugwen. Lady, this is Eomer, nephew of the king and heir to the throne of Rohan, and Gandalf the White, the most powerful wizard in Middle-earth," Legolas introduced. Wendy, of course, knew all this, but bowed politely all the same. Legolas held on tight and didn't fall off this time. Gandalf and Eomer both laughed at the sight.

 "Welcome and well met, Lady Draugwen. I am sure you will make an excellent addition to our company," Eomer said.

 "Indeed, the Orcs will not know what to do when one of their own allies comes attacking," Gandalf agreed.

 "Now, onward, men! We must reach Isenguard before dark!" Théoden commanded, spurring his horse into a canter. The others quickly followed suit. 

 The gates of Isenguard were not far off. As the company of Riders slowly approached Saruman's stronghold, a ripple of fear ran through everyone. No one knew what to expect once they reached Isenguard. The horses picked up on their Riders' hesitation and started to get nervous. When they came to a blind corner in the path, Théoden's horse, Snowmane, refused to go first. The only horse that would go was Shadowfax, Gandalf's horse, but Gandalf had moved to the back of the procession. 

 Wendy, of course, was not nervous at all. So far everything she had experienced was true to Tolkien, except the Warg attack, which meshed with the movie version. So Wendy had no doubt that when they reached Isenguard, Merry and Pippin would be there to greet them with pipes in hand. Saruman and his faithful servant Gríma would be locked up in Orthanc, guarded by Treebeard and the other Ents. So as Snowmane and the other horses danced around, refusing to move forward, Wendy strolled ahead without hesitation.

 "Surely these war horses will not tolerate being shown up by a Warg, and a lady Warg at that," Legolas laughed. And indeed, the horses quickly followed Wendy around the corner. 

 Barely five minutes later, they reached the front gates which led to what was left of Saruman's stronghold.

 "Welcome to Isenguard!" said a merry voice. 

 The Riders stared in amazement. The gates of Isenguard were destroyed, and in their absence the destruction of Saruman's fortress was revealed. The great Fords of Isen had been released from their dam to convert the entire valley into a wading pool. The caverns and tunnels that had been dug deep underground to hold the Orcs and build the weaponry were completely full of water. Any Orc still underground when the waters were released had no hope of surviving. Swimming was not an Orc's strongpoint.

 A great rubble heap lay just inside the archway. Upon it sat two small figures, hard to see because of their gray cloaks. But when the eye adjusted it was easy to see these two small halflings casually smoking their pipes amidst empty bowls and cups, evidence of a feast they had just enjoyed.

 "Welcome, my lords, to Isenguard!" the merry voice said again. One halfling rose and bowed low. The other stirred not, for he had dozed off. "We are the doorwardens. Meriadoc, son of Saradoc is my name; and my companion, who, alas! is overcome with weariness is Peregrin, son of Paladin, of the house of Took. Far in the North is our home. The Lord Saruman is within; but at the moment he is closeted with one Wormtongue, or doubtless he would be here to welcome such honourable guests!"**

 Wendy gaped in awe at Meriadoc Brandybuck, the famous Hobbit whom she had long dreamed of meeting. The speech he had just given was word-for-word the exact speech Tolkien had documented in The Two Towers. How could a man from her time know so much about the happenings in a place like Middle-earth? Strange things indeed were happening. She would have to remember to investigate that later, when the excitement of the War of the Ring was over and done with.

 "Doubtless he would!" Gandalf said to Merry, laughing. "And was it Saruman that ordered you to guard his damaged doors, and watch for the arrival of guests, when your attention could be spared from plate and bottle?"**

 "No, good sir, the matter escaped him," Merry replied, adopting a grave and serious expression. "He has been much occupied. Our orders came from Treebeard, who has taken up management of Isenguard. He commanded me to welcome to Lord of Rohan with fitting words. I have done my best."**

 "And what about your companions? What about Legolas and me? You rascals, you wooly-footed and wool-pated truants! A fine hunt you have led us! Two hundred leagues, through fen and forest, battle and death, to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and idling –and smoking! Smoking! Where did you come by the weed, you villains? Hammer and tongs! I am so torn between rage and joy, that if I do not burst it will be a marvel!"** Gimli cried.

 "You speak for me, Gimli, though I would sooner learn how they came by the wine,"** Legolas laughed. For the first time, Merry turned his attention to the Mirkwood Elf. He stared in surprise, as all who saw Legolas riding a Warg did. 

 "Legolas! What is the story here? Did Rohan run out of suitable mounts?" Merry cried. Pippin was waking now, and when he had rubbed the sleep from his eyes he mimicked Merry's shocked expression, staring at Legolas in unabashed wonderment.

 "Indeed not!" Théoden laughed. "Legolas simply decided that the horses of Rohan were not good enough for him. He tamed a Warg instead! Much nobler beasts, at least in this Elf's eyes."

 "Théoden-King is jesting. Surely he knows how honorable the horses of his lands are. But I have befriended this Warg, and she has agreed to carry me. Merry, Pippin, this is Lady Draugwen," Legolas explained.

 To Wendy's surprise and pleasure, Pippin jumped down from his perch on the rubble pile and offered a hand to her. Wendy lifted a paw and he shook it vigorously. 

 "Nice to meet you, Lady Draugwen. You and your friends are welcome to come dine with Merry and I. But as for Gandalf and his Lordship King Théoden, Treebeard wants them to ride to the north side and meet with him," Pippin said.

 Gandalf and the Riders of the Mark rode off, leaving Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Wendy with the Hobbits.

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Yay! I was afraid for a moment that I had writer's block, but I am renewed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Now for the fun part: Review Replies!

**Empress Guinevere Sparrow**: Aren't his eyes just delicious? I could stare into them for hours on end. Brown or blue, it doesn't matter to me. *sigh* Ahem. Well, anyway. Thank you for the lovely review. I'm glad you thought it was cute!

**Maria2004**: You are quite an astute person. It's hard to say what's going on in Gimli's mind, but you're on the right track. Thanks for reviewing, and congrats on completing your first fanfic. : - )

**Silver-Fangz**: Thank you for the input. I'll keep that in mind. I'll have to do a little research, because I don't recall Wargs having tails. You could be right, though, and I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for reviewing!

**Commodores R Ppl 2**: hahahahaha, you're funny! A fanfic whore… that's very amusing. Thanks for the spiffy review!

**Scifiphantisigurl911**: You're probably right. Their bickering is probably not a good thing. But I guess we'll have to wait and see, eh? Thank you for reviewing!

*grins happily* Reviews put me in such a good mood!


	7. To Battle

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Seven: To ****Battle******

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Merry and Pippin brought Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas into the guardhouse, but Draugwen was too big to fit through the door designed for things no bigger than a man was. She sat outside on the wet ground moping for a bit while the five friends became reacquainted again. Her stomach growled constantly as the scent of the food inside wafted out on a breeze to her sensitive nose. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Gimli emerged with a plate of food.

"I apologize for neglecting you, Lady Draugwen. We were so caught up in the tales that we very nearly forgot. When Aragorn and Legolas began to tell our tale, I thought I could slip out to see you and not be missed. Shall we take a walk?" Gimli suggested. Wendy nodded. As they strolled along, Gimli kindly fed her the food, quelling her grumbling stomach.

They dared not stray far from the guardhouse, not knowing their way around Isenguard or what dangers may still be clinging to the rocks. Gimli told Wendy about the Quest, though he made no mention of the Ring. He told her how he had set out from Rivendell with eight others, including Legolas, Aragorn, Gandalf, and the two Hobbits. Of course Wendy knew all this already, but she listened politely, and indeed enjoyed hearing a retelling if Lord of the Rings from the point of view of someone who was actually involved.

When they were nearing the guardhouse again, Legolas suddenly rushed up to them, looking quite vexed.

"There you two are! I have been looking for you both for nearly twenty minutes! Gimli, why did you take off like that without telling anyone? We did not know where you had gone!" Legolas said in a scolding manner. He put his hand on Wendy's shoulder, petting her softly, looking at her worriedly. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine, lad. I don't know why you were so worried. I thought you saw me leave the guardhouse. Draugwen and I were simply taking a little walk," Gimli answered.

"Well Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, and I were extremely worried. Who knows what dangers still linger in this foul place!" Legolas said, sounding so much like Wendy's father it frightened her.

Draugwen saw Aragorn, Merry, and Pippin lounging casually just inside the guardhouse. They were laughing about something and did not look troubled in the least. Wendy suspected that it was only Legolas who had been worried, though she could not guess why.

"We are fine now, so be calmed, Legolas. Come now, let us see what other news Merry and Pippin may have yet still stored in their minds," Gimli said, leading the way back to the guardhouse. He seemed anxious to get away from Legolas' lecture, and Wendy couldn't say that she was not glad to walk away either. 

Merry and Pippin suggested that they leave the guardhouse and look around Isenguard. They had not gone far yet when they met up with Gandalf, Théoden, Eomer, and the Riders. It was then decided that Gandalf would lead a parley with Saruman at Orthanc, with those who wished to accompany him. When Gandalf, Théoden, Aragorn, Eomer, Legolas, and Gimli ventured forth, Draugwen stayed behind with the Hobbits and the Riders. She felt very tired all of a sudden, so she settled down and allowed herself a small nap. 

Her nap was disturbed a little bit later by a loud _crack_. When she was more fully awake, she realized that the sound she had heard was the palantír being cast through one of Orthanc's windows by Gríma and crashing through a railing. Apparently, the parley had not gone off without a hitch, but that was to be expected. After all, it was Saruman they were dealing with, for goodness sake. While Aragorn conversed in quiet tones with Gandalf and Théoden, Legolas came over and leaned comfortably on Wendy.

"I think, whatever path that is decided upon, much danger lies ahead of us. If you choose not to journey any farther with us, I would not blame you, Lady Draugwen. It is your choice. I do not ask you to go to battle with me," Legolas said quietly.

Wendy looked at him in surprise. The thought of deserting had never crossed her mind at all. Of course, Legolas had no idea that she already knew what the outcome of battle would be. Still, it _was _a battle, and there was a lot of danger involved in that. People on both sides would die before the dust settled and peace resumed and it was possible that Wendy could be caught on the wrong end of an Orc's sword. Yet after going this far with Legolas, there was no way she could turn back now.

- - - - - - - - 

Somehow, three days later, Wendy found herself traveling with Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, and the other Rangers on the Paths of the Dead. Everything had been moving so fast that the last few days were quite a blur. She vaguely recalled allowing herself to be persuaded to walk down the Paths by Legolas with his infectious smile and Gimli with his friendly reassurances, but now she was cursing her decision. 

Only Legolas seemed to have no fear of taking the Paths. His courage encouraged Wendy to pass through the stone arch, while Gimli's apprehension made her feel less alone. For a long time they walked in the dark. Wendy could recall no details later, she only remembered being very cold and very scared.

Finally, they found daylight again. The ghostly warriors who had been called to fulfill their oath of old by Aragorn strengthened their numbers. The company went to Pelargir, where the Corsairs were preparing their battleships with which they could attack Minas Tirith. The dead warriors quickly took over the ships.

In the midst of the seizing of the ships, Legolas heard the call of the seagulls that flew about overhead. Galadriel had warned him about the gulls, via a message sent by Gandalf, yet there was no escaping their cries. Even though the Sea was not within sight, Legolas was still filled with such a longing that he wavered between leaving his friends and going to battle. For a few long moments, he stood next to Wendy, his hands curling in her thick fur as he stared Westward. 

Finally, Wendy nudged him, motioning towards the ship that held Aragorn and Gimli. She took the hood of his cloak gently in her teeth and pulled him towards the ship.

"You are right, Lady Draugwen. My duties lie here," he agreed, though he sighed in a wistful sort of way and cast a few longing glances in the direction of the Sea.

The ships sailed for two days before landing at the Pelennor fields. Those two days stretched out into an eternity for Wendy. Out of everyone on the ships, she was the only one who was not trained as a warrior. She had not been brought up to see death as a noble cause. If she could barely make it through dodge ball at school, how on earth (or Middle-earth) would she survive a battle on such a scale as the Battle of Pelennor Fields? Surely, she would be trampled under the gargantuan foot of an Oliphaunt or slashed by the sword of a Haradrim warrior! 

As the ships came ever nearer to their destination, Gimli and Legolas both seemed to take notice of Wendy's ever-increasing fear. They each attempted to comfort her in different ways. Gimli distracted her by sharing Dwarf-lore with her while Legolas sang to her in Elvish. Gimli always made her laugh while being around Legolas made her feel all woozy and jelly-like. Either way it took her mind off the battle, which greatly eased her mind.

During the brief lapses of time when Legolas and Gimli were busy elsewhere, Wendy kept herself from slipping into a panic by recalling an interesting conversation Gandalf held with her as they left Isenguard. She was riding alone at the back of the procession, as Aragorn had wished to have a private council with Legolas and Gimli. Gandalf, on his amazing steed Shadowfax, jogged over to her and fell into step beside her.

"How are you enjoying your stay in Middle-earth, Wendy?" he asked in a low undertone.

Wendy stared at him in utter shock. Gandalf merely chuckled and explained how he had come to know her name and that she was not from Middle-earth. It seemed that when he was younger he had been experimenting with different spells and combinations of spells and somehow opened a line of communication between Wendy's Earth and Middle-earth. The other end of the line happened to be the telephone in John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's hallway. In that way, Tolkien learned of the happenings in Middle-earth and, with Gandalf's encouragement, turned it into a classic tale read by children of all ages all over the world.

Over time, Gandalf perfected his use of the portal and became so advanced in skill that he was able to make it not only a communication line but an actual window into Wendy's world. He loved to watch different people and happened to be watching Wendy at the time of her car crash. A quickly muttered spell brought her into Middle-earth, but he had not forseen the side effects; first, the fact that she was stuck in the body of a Warg, and second, that she would be catapulted far backwards in time to the War of the Ring. It had actually been Gandalf's voice, disguised as the pleasant voice of an enchantress, that had informed Wendy of the way to reverse the spell while she lay on the ground amidst rotting Orcs.

Wendy amused herself by imagining the strange conversation that had taken place between Gandalf and J.R.R. Tolkien that very first time Gandalf breached the barrier between the worlds.

"Good day sir, my name is Gandalf the Grey. I am a Wizard from the land of Middle-earth…"

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: All righty then, you know the drill. This is when I beg for reviews to feed my ego. So go on, click that little button and tell me how great I am. Or how much I suck. Whichever floats your boat. : - ) Please remember that constructive criticism is a great tool for writers. I'm especially interested in what you think about how Tolkien found out about Middle-earth.

Now the fun part: Reviewer Replies!

**Ephona**: That ^^ is what happens next.

**Saria64**: Thank you ever so much for your kind words! You make me smile!

**Tiger**: You have raised some good questions. Wendy hasn't been killed on sight because she's always with Legolas or Gimli. People trust them so they wait for an explanation. Aragorn knew it was Legolas because of that telltale blonde hair. Orcs don't have long blonde hair. Thank you for reviewing! I do hope you were not injured when you crashed into the fake sunset.

**Kedz24**: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like my story!

**Wolf of Gondor**: Thanks for reviewing! Also thank you for pointing out the tidbit about tails. I managed to catch the Warg Attack when LOTR:TTT was playing on TV the other day so I did see that. There will be references to tails in later chapters.

**Empress Guinevere Sparrow**: She is pretty darn lucky, isn't she? She gets to go gallivanting around with Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and all the others. But she's still a Warg. Every rose has its thorn, I guess.  Thank you so much for the review!

**Orlandopsycho010**: *hands you virtual box of cookies* There, is that good? Thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you like the story!

**Maria2004**: Thanks so much for leaving me a review! Male Mary Sue, haha, that's funny. Not quite, but that would be interesting. Hmmm… ideas are sparking… but anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Scifiphantisigurl911**: Oh, I'm so sorry about the e-mail. I hate it when I can't get to mine. But thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the fact that I used the real dialogue. I was a bit nervous as to how people would respond to that. THANKS!

**elvesmagic010**: Long or short, it doesn't matter, I like them all. Thank you for the review! It makes me glad when people say they like my work.

To everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story: **THANK YOU**! 


	8. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Eight: The ****Battle**** of the Pelennor Fields**

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay, guys. I've been pretty busy lately. But I've almost finished this story, so updates will be more regular. Thanks for all your support, it means so much to me!

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The first ship to reach the Pelennor Fields was the ship containing the Three Hunters and Wendy. Not for the first time nor the last Wendy wondered why she couldn't have been stuck in the body of a bird or perhaps an insect. At least something smaller and harder to target than a Warg.

The sight of the great black ships of the Corsairs struck fear into the heart of every Man who was putting his life on the line to protect the White City. A leer spread across the grotesque faces of the enemies. The believed victory was within their grasp. But suddenly a great banner was unfurled. On it was stitched the emblem of the White Tree of Gondor and the Seven Stars and Crown of Elendil, shining white upon the black background. It was then that the protectors of Gondor took heart, knowing that help had arrived in the guise of enemies.

"Do not fear, Lady Draugwen. I will not let you fall to Sauron's beastly servants," Legolas promised, his soft voice like a cool drink of water after trekking the desert.

"Stick with me, Lady Draugwen, and no harm shall come to ye," vowed Gimli, his thick beard mingling with the fur on her neck. In the absence of Arod, both Elf and Dwarf were preparing to ride Wendy into battle. 

Aragorn exited the ship first. He was followed by the Dead Warriors, materializing out of nowhere to fulfill their oath and finally have peace. Wendy stood trembling with nervousness, as well as some excitement, while she waited for Legolas to give her a sign that it was time. When Gimli shifted slightly, accidentally pressing his leg more firmly to her side, she mistakenly thought he meant for her to go.

So go she did; over the side of the ship and face-first into the sand at the edge of the river. In an instant she was on her feet again and charging forward, blind with fear and filled with rage toward the Enemy. She blinked furiously to clear the sand from her eyes and spat in all directions to clear the filth from her mouth.

Everything was noisy and chaotic. Wendy could no longer discern friend from foe, all she saw were shiny, pointy weapons all around her, threatening her safety as well as the two people she cared for above anyone else who were currently perched on her back. She heard the screams of people in pain and the shrill, frightened calls of wounded horses. Oliphaunts bugled and men let out war-calls. Everything sounded coarse and crude. Her ears hurt and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest.

As Wendy darted deftly between warriors, she heard the _twang_ of Legolas' bow as it loosed arrows with deadly accuracy. Gimli's axe took out foes with a sickening _thunk_, usually followed by a short-lived yell. Wendy's senses slowly returned to her and she quickly learned to tell the difference between an Enemy and a friend. Whenever an Enemy came too close to her, her sharp claws would knock him to the ground. If an Enemy came exceptionally close, her jaws would open wide and then shut with a lightning-fast snap, catching the Enemy unaware.

Then came the Oliphaunts. Like elephants they were in appearance, but big enough to hold a house on their back. Their feet crushed Enemy and friend alike, often twenty or thirty at once. As interesting as they were to look at, Wendy had no desire to see any of them up close. But Legolas, who sat in front of Gimli so he could direct her, urged her forward so on she went.

Wendy had been galloping along for a minute or two, biting and clawing as she went, when she suddenly realized that the load on her back was a little lighter. Craning her neck, she saw that only Gimli remained on her back. Horror spread through her as she turned back in the direction they had come from. She frantically scanned the fallen warriors, looking for a glimpse of golden hair and fair skin.

"Lady Draugwen! It is not the ground you should be searching, but the skies!" Gimli shouted in her ear as his axe sank itself into another Enemy. Confused, Wendy raised her eyes to the sky. There was some commotion occurring on the back of one Oliphaunt and, upon looking closer, Wendy saw a lithe figure with a crown of golden hair expertly maneuvering along the moving beast, sending arrows flying as he went.

Satisfied, Wendy continued with Gimli as her guide. The two moved as one, taking out swarms of Enemies at once. (Okay, not _swarms_, but Wendy thought a little exaggeration was acceptable, seeing as it was her first battle.)

Time no longer had meaning. The sky was covered by thick gray clouds that no sunlight could pass through. It was impossible to tell whether it was midnight or noon. Adrenaline proved to be an excellent performance enhancer, but it didn't last forever. As that first burst of energy wore off, Wendy found herself tiring quickly. Her feet were not moving as quickly and her jaws did not snap with the same oomph as they first did. Gimli's words of encouragement reached her ears as if through a fog and her eyesight was becoming bleary. All she saw, all around her, was blood and suffering and evil. Her heart was heavy, and that weight translated to her feet. 

An Oliphaunt's foot came dangerously close to Wendy and Gimli, giving her one shot of fear with she used to help her bolt ahead of the Oliphaunt. But the feet were not the only danger. On top of the Oliphaunt were the deadly Haradrim archers. While Wendy was concentrating on taking down one ghastly Enemy, a Haradrim sent an arrow right at the Dwarf he spotted on the ground. Gimli twisted around to reach an Enemy warrior an instant before the arrow would have lodged itself in his back. Instead, the arrow went into the thick hide that covered Wendy's back.

All Wendy was aware of was a searing pain that started in her back and spread along her spine and eventually to every part of her body. She stumbled and fell, landing on the sword of a warrior who had fallen only a second before. Gimli rolled off and landed in a heap next to her. 

Meanwhile, the Oliphaunt Legolas had hitched a ride on had just taken its last breath, arrows sticking from it as though it was some sort of pincushion. Legolas landed nimbly on his feet in front of the great carcass, bow still in hand. His eyes scanned the fields quickly before coming to rest on a large, hairy body a few hundred feet ahead of him. Next to it lay a short, bearded, axe-wielding warrior. Fear gripped the Elf.

Somehow his feet managed to guide him to Wendy and Gimli. He fell to his knees, ignoring all else but his dear fallen friends. Gimli, bruised but otherwise unwounded, crawled to Wendy's other side. He laid one hand on her back. It was covered by a pale, slender hand. Gimli and Legolas shared a look of deep mourning. Legolas squeezed his friend's hand.

"It is not safe to linger. We must go on," Legolas said. Gimli nodded, getting reluctantly to his feet. He turned away before he had the chance to change his mind and charged, reenergized and filled with rage at the injustice done to his dear friend Draugwen. Legolas also rose and whispered, "No i Melain na le," before rejoining the battle. May the Valar be with you

Through eyes glazed over pain, Wendy watched Gimli and Legolas walk away, feeling her heart ache as loneliness consumed her. Just before her eyes closed, Gimli's head turned to look at her and their eyes met for the briefest of instants. Then everything went black.

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Don't you just love cliffhangers? I know I do. ****

**Review Replies:**

**elvesmagic010:** *claps* Nice review! I'm glad you liked that little twist. I wasn't sure how people were going to react to that. Thanks for reviewing!

**MP3girl4eva:** That's okay, better late than never. Thank you for reviewing!

**Elrohir lover:** I'm glad you're enjoying it! One question: How do you ever decide between Elladan and Elrohir? I mean, why do you love Elrohir but not Elladan? Okay sorry I'm just weird.

**Empress Guinevere Sparrow: **Well, you were right, the next chapter (this chapter) _was_ the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. I hope you liked it. Thank you for reviewing!

**Almost Funny:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you think my characters are consistent, I try to work on that. 

**Scifiphantisigurl911: **I'm glad it made you laugh! Legolas is acting pretty overprotective, isn't he? I suppose it's that warrior nature; fiercely loyal to his friends, just plain fierce towards foes.

**Silver-Fangz: **Yes indeedy, I sure did update. : - P Hope you liked it.

**The molecular lady:** I'm glad you like it!

**Orlandopsycho010: **Wow, you have a lot in common with Wendy! It's like I'm writing a story about you! Except you weren't transported into Middle-earth and you didn't get stuck in the body of a Warg and you didn't fall in love with a certain warrior. lol, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Tiger:** I'm glad to hear you weren't injured when you ran into the fake sunset. I think sign language would be a little difficult for Wendy, seeing as she has paws, not hands. I think fingers are rather important for learning sign language. But it's a good idea! Thank you for reviewing!

**Maria2004:** I'm glad you liked that chapter so much! The phone thing was supposed to be a little strange, just a little random thing to lighten the mood before the big battle. You'll see very soon why Gimli is being so nice to Wendy. : - ) thanks for the review!

**Tinánia Legolinde: **Thanks for taking the time to leave me a review! I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Shanelover1: **Thank you for your kind words! I'm really glad that you like my story!


	9. First Kiss?

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Nine: First Kiss?**

**A/N: **Sorry this update has taken so long. I'm running into a bit of trouble with the epilogue. This story just doesn't seem to want to be finished. It's coming along, though. So here you go, chapter nine, enjoy! (BTW- I will be replying to reviewers in the actual review section to save space. : - )

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The next thing Wendy was aware of was waking up in a room of white walls and white floors which was flooded with sunlight that poured forth from one tall, narrow window. She was lying on the floor, cushioned by a pile of what appeared to be some blankets and dirty clothes. It took her a moment to shift from unconsciousness to wakefulness, but when she had made the transition, the first thing she noticed was the small patch of sky she saw through the window.

There were light, fluffy, snowy white clouds floating lazily across the bright blue sky. The great big yellow sun shined his merry light upon the lands below. The thick smog-like clouds were gone, evidence that Sauron's power was crumbling. Wendy's hope was renewed and, since no other soul was around to flinch, she allowed herself a smile.

The smile disappeared immediately, though, due to the sound of footsteps approaching the room in which she lay. Wendy tried to roll over but as soon as she moved, great pain throughout her body made her lay still and quiet. She let out a low groan as she became aware of the sores and hurts all over herself. Besides the searing, white-hot pain emanating from one area of her back and from her chest, her head throbbed, her legs ached, the muscles in her feet screamed in protest whenever she moved the slightest bit, and her poor tail felt snapped in two. In short, Wendy was one bruised and utterly battered little girl.

"Lady Draugwen, are you awake?" said a soft, rough voice from behind her.

"Praise the Valar that she is alive at all!" exclaimed another joyfully, his voice hushed so as not to disturb the wounded Warg lying within the room they approached. 

Two people, one short and hairy, the other tall and fair, moved around Wendy so that she could actually see them and kneeled down by her head. Gimli put one heavy hand on her shoulder, stroking softly. Legolas ran a soft, gentle hand along her jaw line. Had she been stuck in the body of a cat instead of a Warg, Wendy would have been purring like a diesel engine. 

"Dearest Draugwen, we were so worried about you," Legolas whispered.

"It was quite an ordeal, getting you into the House of Healing at all. The healers said this place was for people, not animals. They don't understand how very human you are," Gimli said. 

"Gimli fought hard for you, Draugwen. He would have carried you here himself if he could have," Legolas said with a small smile.

Out of nowhere, Wendy felt tears spring to her eyes. She had no way to convey her immense gratitude. She could not thank the ones who had saved her life. They were the only two in all of Middle-earth that accepted her without question. They had shown her more kindness than she had ever known in her young life on Earth. As beastly as she appeared, Gimli and Legolas had actually taken the time to get to know the woman beneath the fur.

Gimli brushed away a tear that had escaped from beneath Wendy's tightly closed eyelids. "You must be exhausted. We will leave you here, if you wish."

Wendy shook her head quickly. That was the last thing she wanted. 

"No? All right, then stay we shall. Are you comfortable, milady? Shall I fetch more bedding?" Gimli asked. Wendy shook her head again. "I apologize that you must sleep on the ground. The beds here are too small for a Warg, even one as dainty as you."

Wendy laughed her great deep rumbling laugh, making both Legolas and Gimli smile. She looked into Legolas' eyes for a moment, feeling great warmth spread throughout her. Then her gaze shifted to Gimli's eyes, and that feeling intensified. Both the Elf and the Dwarf were so very wonderful to her. Was it too much to ask for one of them to fall in love with her?

Just then, a young boy who seemed to be playing messenger-boy rudely interrupted the special moment Wendy was enjoying. 

"My lords, the warriors are preparing to leave. Lord Aragorn awaits you at the front gate. He wishes for you to hurry," the boy said to Legolas and Gimli.

The two warriors both looked at Wendy with sadness and longing. While the boy impatiently fidgeted in the doorway, Gimli and Legolas bid farewell to their loyal friend.

"We are off to the Black Gates," Legolas informed her. "We are going to attempt to distract Sauron enough to allow the quest to be fulfilled."

"We do not wish to leave you, Lady Draugwen. But duty calls, and we must answer," Gimli said. Wendy nodded in understanding. They gave her a final pat on the head and bid her farewell. As they followed the pageboy down the hallway, they passed one of the healers who were hurrying around, tending to the injured warriors. Gimli quickly stopped her to speak to her.

"Milady, I have a request to make. One of my dear friends is injured, and I wish to ride off knowing that she is well taken care of," Gimli said.

"Do you mean the Shieldmaiden, the woman of Rohan who killed the Witch-king? I assure you that all that can be done for her is being done," the harried healer said distractedly. Eowyn was the only woman she could think of under the care of the healers, but Gimli shook his head.

"No, I do not mean the Lady Eowyn. My friend is Draugwen. She is an injured Warg," Gimli said. The healer's expression swiftly changed from one of fatigue to one of horror.

"I'm sorry, lord, but I just cannot go near that terrible beast! I'm deadly frightened of them! I've had nightmares about Wargs since I was a little girl!" she cried.

Gimli glanced at Legolas. Very quietly, he said, "Go on, lad. Use that charm of yours."

Legolas nodded and winked subtly. Turning back to the healer, he said, "Milady, would you be so kind as to step into this room with me? Perhaps I can persuade you to think differently about my friend Draugwen."

He took her by the arm and steered her into a small room where supplies, such as extra blankets and bandages, were stored. They were shut in the closet for only a few minutes, leaving Gimli to assure the anxious pageboy that they would be on their way soon enough. When the door opened, Legolas stepped out first, smiling confidently. The healer, who was considerably more flustered than when she had entered, exited second, jumping in surprise when the door shut loudly behind her. 

"I thank you again, kind lady," Legolas said to her, winking. She turned redder, giggled, and hurried down the hall in the direction of Wendy's room.

"What did ye do to her, boy?" Gimli hissed as the pageboy hurried them along.

"I simply turned on the charm. She will take good care of Draugwen in our absence. Hurry, Gimli, Aragorn awaits us!"

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Wendy had no idea how long she was waiting for Legolas and Gimli to return. Every minute felt like a lifetime, every day an eternity. She had plenty of time for thinking, and not much else to occupy herself, so she thought a lot about the 'future,' whatever that meant. Could she ever find love in this beast's body? Sure, Legolas and Gimli were _nice _enough to her, but was it _love_? Surely not!

Yet…

Could it be?

Wendy had never been in love. She had no idea how one knew whether one was in love. All she knew was that while Legolas and Gimli were away fighting the forces of Mordor, they were all that she could think of. She worried for them, even feared for them, for she did not know how she could go on if something happened to them. What if Tolkien had changed the ending to make it more appealing to readers? What if Sauron really won and took the Ring? What if Legolas or Gimli actually died while fighting?

These thoughts, among many others, plagued Wendy night and day as she drifted in and out of fitful sleep. The healer Legolas had appointed to her checked on her often, bringing food and drink and other comforts. However, Wendy could not be persuaded to eat more than a few bites nor take more than a few sips of water. She did not care to try to get up and move about, even though the medicines given to her took away most of the pain.

All Wendy wanted was to see Legolas and Gimli just once more. Perhaps then her heart would tell her whom she wished to give her hear to. Based on looks alone, Gimli stood no chance. Legolas was tall and graceful and beautiful and masculine all at once. However, he was an Elf, an immortal being far wiser than Wendy's mind could comprehend. Gimli was not of the immortals, though he would long outlive Wendy in her mortal state. She wondered about the lifespan of a Warg. Perhaps if they normally outlived humans she could take a few of those extra years for herself. 

At any rate, it was impossible to choose between the two. Both had their positive characteristics and both made Wendy feel as though she was on top of the world when they were around. 

Finally, after many restless nights of waiting and hoping and yearning, Wendy's healer burst in full of excitement.

"The King is returning! The King of Gondor has vanquished the Lord of Mordor! Now he comes back to his people to rebuild this great city!" she exclaimed. "Come, Lady Draugwen, surely you can find some strength in that great body of yours! Come see the warriors march into Minas Tirith!"

Wendy leapt up instantly and followed the healer out of the House of Healing. Crowds of happy, celebrating people filled the streets to welcome the men who had saved Middle-earth from destruction. Wendy's eyesight, keener than when she was in girl form, desperately searched the faces of the armor-clad soldiers, looking for a thick beard or a long mane of gold among the shining helmets. There were so many, and they were moving so fast in and out amongst the people of Minas Tirith…

Suddenly there was a tall figure beside her. Long, slender arms enveloped her in a great hug and a soft voice whispered, "Hello, Draugwen."

"Legolas!" Wendy cried, forgetting for a moment that she was a Warg. He seemed to understand her all the same, and laughed brightly.

"It is so good to see you, Draugwen. I cannot even _begin_ to express to you how much I missed you while I was away. But now I am back, and you are well once more! I trust that you have been cared for well during your stay in Minas Tirith?" Legolas asked, holding her face in his soft hands and looking straight into her eyes. Wendy nodded vigorously.

"Now we can rest in peace, knowing that Sauron's realm has ended. A new King comes now to this city. It will take many long years to regain the glory that Gondor once had, but Aragorn is more than capable. Great days are coming for this land!" Legolas said happily. He laughed again, seemingly just because it felt good. Wendy joined him in laughing, rubbing her head against him just to feel him by her. It was almost too good to be true, having him with her again.

Yet there was an emptiness still in Wendy's heart that needed fulfilling. She frowned, wondering why she did not feel completely content. Before she could ponder it further, Legolas lifted her face to his. He bent down slowly, his head coming ever nearer to hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that he was about to kiss her.

Legolas' perfect pink lips were puckered, his brilliant eyes hidden beneath soft golden lashes. Wendy's own eyes drifted shut. She felt her heart beating dreadfully hard against her chest and wondered if Legolas could hear it. 

Those beautiful lips pressed themselves against Wendy's hairy cheek. Time stood still for a moment. Wendy and Legolas were alone in the world, despite being in the middle of a huge crowd.

Legolas moved back, smiling. Wendy froze, her eyes still closed, as she waited for the transformation.

Nothing happened.

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Wow, another cliffhanger, I'm feeling evil! Tee hee hee…


	10. Human Again

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Chapter Ten: Human Again**

**A/N:** Some of my reviewers are very smart and are beginning to catch on to my twist. In case you haven't learned the secret yet, you will find out in this chapter. This is the final chapter, unless you want me to add an epilogue. Replies to my lovely reviewers can be found amongst the other reviews.

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Legolas took a step back. His hands remained on her face. He smiled at her, and Wendy was reminded of the way her older brother often smiled at her when she did something cute as a little girl. She was hit with a sudden realization, the impact of which struck her with such force that she would have fallen down if she stood on only two legs, rather than four.

Wendy loved Gimli.

Gimli was the key to becoming human again. 

Not that she didn't love Legolas. He was very attractive, and she loved being with him. But if she had to choose one person out of the entire world –out of either world, her own or Middle-earth –that person would be Gimli son of Gloin, the dwarf whose axe hew more Orc-necks than Legolas at Helm's Deep, the Dwarf who was afraid to take the Paths of the Dead, the Dwarf who fell in love with Galadriel…

…and the Dwarf who was currently nowhere in sight.

Sudden panic seized Wendy. Where was Gimli? Why was he not with Legolas? What if he had fallen in battle? She rose up suddenly on her hind legs, putting her forelegs on Legolas' shoulders. Frantically she tried to communicate with her eyes, but Legolas did not understand. He thought she was being playful and simply ruffled her fur, laughing. In desperation she cried out,

"Where is Gimli? I must find him!"

To the surprise of all around her, the words came out not in the strange language of Wargs but in the Common Tongue. People stared in shock at the Warg who had just spoken words they understood. A few edged away uneasily, thinking some trickery or devilry was upon them. Legolas looked shell-shocked and couldn't seem to speak.

"Lady Draugwen!" a beautifully familiar voice yelled. "Out of my way, please, move, sorry about that, please move, come on, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

The crowd parted to make way for the loud Dwarf. Wendy dropped back onto all fours, pushing Legolas out of the way, not gently. The last few people shifted aside and a clear path lay between Gimli and Wendy. They stood for an instant as if frozen before both rushed forward until the gap between them was closed.

"Wish he had run that fast when we were chasing the Hobbits," Legolas muttered to no one but himself.

"Gimli! Oh, Gimli, I was so worried!" Wendy said, a few tears leaking out of her eyes in her joy. 

"Lady Draugwen, I do not understand… how is it that you are speaking our language?" Gimli asked in disbelief.

"Let's not question it," Wendy replied. With that, conversation ceased. Gimli took her face in his hands. They were not smooth; they had calluses from many days of hard work. His face was not pale and smooth; it was hairy and creased with wrinkles. His lips were not pink and perfect, but they were puckered, and Wendy's eyes closed once more in anticipation. Gimli placed a kiss on her right cheek, then turned her head and placed a kiss on her left cheek.

At first, there was nothing.

Then, there was tingling. Wendy stepped back, trembling with excitement. The crowd gave her a large berth.

Then, there was prickling. It felt like a million needles were poking Wendy all over. Her forelegs began to shorten and hair started to fall in clumps. Her claws retracted and her paw became a hand once more. Her huge, slavering fangs became teeth once more, perfect in spite of their yellow tinge. She felt the tail reduce until there was nothing. Her spine straightened so she could stand on her hind legs again. Only now they weren't hind legs, they were just legs, her plain beautiful smooth legs with nice womanly feet at the bottom, not huge hairy paws designed for killing. 

There was one problem that became evident fairly soon. As the hair dropped away to reveal her womanly curves, there was nothing to hide those curves from the world. A kind old woman stepped forward and draped a cloak around her, which Wendy accepted gratefully. 

One other problem arose. As Wendy's head transformed back into a smaller, human head, the hair did not fall off. She waited and waited, but the hair did not fall. Her face was still mostly covered by thick, coarse, dark brown hair. From her scalp her normal light brown hair emerged, thicker than before. But the facial hair remained.

Wendy also noticed that her height had not returned to normal. In her normal state, she would only be a few inches shorter than Legolas. But currently she was a scant few inches taller than Gimli, and nearly a foot shorter than Legolas. She certainly wasn't complaining. Wendy had often been teased as a young girl about her height. 

"L…Lady… Lady Draugwen…" Gimli gasped¸ staring at the girl in front of him in amazement. "You are… you are… you are a…"

"I am a girl, Gimli. A human girl," she said in a whisper.

"How is this possible?" Legolas asked, coming towards her. He raised his hand as if to touch her hair, then withdrew quickly.

"It's all right. I'm not going to burn you," Wendy giggled. "It's… well… it's a rather complicated story. It would be difficult for you to believe if I told you how I ended up as a Warg. Maybe we can go inside and discuss it over tea. After I find some clothes to wear."

"Yes… yes, tea would be… nice… and clothes, you need clothes," Gimli said, speaking slowly as if he was in a trance. He was apparently completely dumbfounded, and who could blame him? He had just seen a hideous Warg transform into an okay-looking woman. He was allowed to be a little shaken up.

Legolas nudged Gimli's shoulder, pushing him gently towards Wendy. Before he knew it, Gimli's feet were carrying him closer to Wendy. 

"Go on, kiss her! Kiss her!" someone called from amidst the crowd.

"Yes, do!" shouted a woman.

The crowd took up the chant, with Legolas the loudest of all. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Wendy blushed bright red, hiding her face in embarrassment. Gimli reached for her hands, pulling them away. "Why do you cover up your beautiful face?"

"Beautiful? Gimli, do you not see this? I'm still hairy! How can you say I'm beautiful? I'm still so ugly!" Wendy cried. She rubbed her face as hard as she could, causing some hair to fall off her forehead. Yet the hair around her mouth, her "beard," if you will, stayed stubbornly in place. 

"Do ye mean to say, lass, that facial hair is not attractive?" Gimli asked, twirling the end of his beard around his finger. 

Wendy looked at him for a moment. Slowly, she began to understand. Gimli was used to women with beards. All Dwarf-women had them. Beards were attractive to Dwarves, and the longer the beard, the more noble the person. Wendy began to laugh, and she seized Gimli in a great hug.

"Oh Gimli, forgive me for being so stupid and petty! Who cares about a stupid beard! I love you, Gimli, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you!" Wendy declared.

"Then so be it!" Gimli agreed, but all other words were silenced when Wendy planted a big kiss right on his lips.

A cheer went up in the crowd, but Gimli and Wendy were totally oblivious. When the kiss ended, they lost themselves in each other's eyes until Legolas politely coughed and nudged Gimli, successfully bringing their attention back to the matter at hand. They both blushed bright pink (though it was hard to tell through all the hair on both faces) when they noticed how large the crowd of spectators had grown to. Even other warriors had stopped their victory parade to see what was going on.

"Perhaps we should take this inside," Legolas murmured. 

"Yes, that sounds like a brilliant idea. Let's go. Now. Quickly. Hurry! Come on!" Wendy urged, pulling on Gimli's hand. Legolas led the way, pushing his way through the crowd. When they saw who was behind him, they immediately parted, leaving a wide path for Gimli and Wendy to take. As they strolled hand-in-hand, a few people began to clap, and then a few more, and soon the entire city seemed to be cheering them on. Still blushing, but with wide smiles, Gimli and Wendy turned around just before going inside a building and waved to the crowd a little before closing the door firmly behind themselves.

The room they were in was a currently unoccupied room of the Houses of Healing. Legolas found a white robe that Wendy gladly slipped on (shielded by a privacy partition in the corner of the room) before sitting next to Gimli on the edge of the bed. Legolas pulled over a wooden chair and sat in front of them.

Gimli took Wendy's hand, turning so he could see her face. Gently, he brushed away a few stray strands of hair from her face, looking at her in amazement. "I still do not understand," he said quietly. "How can a Warg become human?"

Wendy sighed, a small smile playing at her lips. "It's a long story. Half of it you won't believe, and the other half you won't understand. I think maybe Gandalf would be the better person to explain…"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. The three looked at the door in surprise before Legolas got up to see who it was.

"Hurry up, hurry up, we haven't got all day," said an impatient voice they all recognized as that of the old Wizard Wendy had just mentioned. Legolas laughed and pulled open the door, allowing Gandalf entrance. He pulled the remaining wooden chair beside Legolas' and settled himself comfortably.

"Well, Lady Wendy, I see that you have lifted the spell. Gimli, congratulations, you have found yourself a very good woman to settle down with," Gandalf smiled.

"Wendy?" Gimli and Legolas questioned curiously at the same time. 

"Yes, Wendy. That is her proper name. You did not truly think her name was Draugwen, did you?" Gandalf asked.

"No, of course not, but… _Wendy?_ I have never heard such a name. Where does it come from?" Legolas asked curiously.

"Please, call me Draugwen. I like it so much more than Wendy. I've always hated my name," Wendy said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"As you wish, milady," Gimli said, patting her hand. Legolas smiled at them, chuckling a little.

"It is amusing to see you be so affectionate, my friend. Only a few days ago I saw you slaughtering Orcs with a wild fury," Legolas said. Gimli laughed.

"That is what happens to you when you fall in love. Perhaps someday you will see what it is like, Master Elf," Gimli teased his friend. Wendy, or Draugwen as she was to be called until the end of her days, laughed at the look on Legolas' face, a mixture of outrage and amusement. The mock anger melted away and Legolas began to laugh along with Draugwen.

"Gandalf, you seem to know more about this than I. Please tell me what you know, for my mind cannot begin to comprehend how this wonderful woman came into my life," Gimli said to the wise old Wizard.

Gandalf sighed, giving a little shrug of the shoulders. "Master Gimli, I am not sure _anyone_ will ever fully comprehend how Wendy –excuse me, Draugwen –became a Warg."

Gandalf quickly summarized what he had already told Draugwen. Gimli and Legolas listened in silence, their faces almost identical images of intrigue and disbelief. Draugwen also told her story, how she had been an avid Lord of the Rings fan for so long and had always dreamed of going to Middle-earth. She explained how Tolkien's works had created a phenomenon throughout the world and how so many little girls dreamed about romancing with the tall, fair, skilled Prince of Mirkwood. When that sparked their interest, she delved briefly into the topic of fan fiction, explaining how according to the authors Legolas had been with everyone from a random elleth to the King of Gondor himself.

But when they _finally_ got back on topic, Gandalf admitted, "Indeed, for some time I thought it would be Legolas, not Gimli, that would break the spell." He looked questioningly at the other three. "How did it come to pass that Gimli was the one, not this tall, fair, skilled Prince of Mirkwood?"

"To tell you the truth, Gandalf," Legolas sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching, "I've always secretly harbored feelings for Aragorn."

Gandalf, Gimli, and Draugwen burst out laughing.

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There you have it! That's the final chapter! But if you want an epilogue, let me know in a review. I have one half-written already, but it's very short. If you want me to leave the story as is, tell me so. Thank you all so very, very much for reading my silly little story. It means so much to me to know that people actually enjoyed my writing. : - ) See you around!


	11. The End of All Things

**Beauty and the Warg**

**Epilogue: The End of All Things**

**Subtitle: Just in Case You Were Wondering What Happened to Draugwen and Gimli**

**A/N:** Yes, the time has come at last for me to put this story to rest. I want to send out a big, huge, gargantuan, mammoth thank you to everyone who has read my story. I hope you enjoy this rather short but sweet epilogue.

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**Many years later…**

A small grey boat sat quietly in the still waters of the great Sea. The sails were unfurled, shining silver in the moonlight. A small group of people stood on the shore. One was tall and fair, his pale skin almost fluorescent in the darkness. The others were all short(er) and rather hairy. The tall one was standing slightly away from the others as if he was not a part of that group.

The tallest of the shorter group bent down to place a kiss on the forehead of the shortest. The little boy wrapped his arms around her, weeping quietly.

"Must you go, Mummy?" he asked, his voice choked with tears and muffled due to the fact that his head was buried in her cloak.

"I'm sorry, Thorin, but it is my time to go. Your sisters will look after you until you are old enough to settle down with a nice wife and raise a family of your own," Draugwen whispered, stroking his thick, coarse hair with a soft hand.

It was the year 120 of the Fourth Age. The King of Gondor had passed away in early spring, leaving only two members of the original Fellowship on Middle-earth. Those two, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf,  were now preparing to leave their homes behind. With Gimli was his wife Draugwen, who by human expectations should have died many, many years ago.

Gandalf always felt guilty about bringing Wendy to Middle-earth and forcing her to be stuck as a Warg for so long. When he reached Valinor, he made a plea to the Valar to grant her a longer life. They took pity on the poor girl and granted her longer life, much to the delight of Gimli and Draugwen. The years were beginning to catch up on her now, as evidenced by the streaks of grey through her hair and beard. 

After the dust left by the War of the Ring had settled, Gimli set up a colony of Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain, his home, in the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep. He and Draugwen became the first Lord and Lady of the Glittering Caves, and together with the colony Legolas set up in Ithilien they assisted Aragorn in rebuilding the kingdom of Gondor. 

Draugwen and Gimli had three children together. The first, a girl, was named Wendy on Gimli's insistence. He had taken a liking to that name and wanted Draugwen to always have a connection to her past. Wendy was a lot like Draugwen in that she was obsessed with _Lord of the Rings_. She begged her father for stories about the Quest constantly. Their second daughter was named Galadriel in honor of Gimli's first love. By Dwarf standards, she was stunningly beautiful, with a thick, full beard of gold. She carried the name well. Their third, a son, was called Thorin in honor of Thorin Oakenshield, one of Draugwen's favorite characters in The Hobbit. (She had fought to name him Smaug, but Gimli put his foot down on naming his son after a Worm.) Thorin was an adventurous young fellow who loved to make mischief and looked up to his father with reverence. Draugwen expected him to become a renowned explorer when he grew up. 

Through all the years, Legolas never forgot the call of the seagulls he had once heard while preparing to sail into battle. Loyalty to Aragorn kept him tethered to Middle-earth, but now that the King was gone, he could not remain here. He built himself a ship and pleaded with Gimli and Draugwen to come with him to the Undying Lands, not being able to bear parting with his dear friends. 

Which brings us back to the group of people standing on the shores of the Sea next to a grey ship with silvery sails.

"I will always love you, Thorin. Remember that," Draugwen whispered before releasing her son and turning to her daughters. She pulled them both into her embrace, holding them tightly for a long moment.

"We'll miss you, Mom. A lot," Galadriel said quietly. "Say hi to my namesake when you get there."

Draugwen had never lost her "modern" mannerisms, and her children had picked up on much of it. (Calling her "mom" rather than "mother" and other such habits) They usually spoke modern, casual English, not the more old-fashioned style of the Common Speech that almost everyone else spoke. They were, of course, fluent in Dwarvish as well, but liked to speak English  with their mother.

"Will do, Gally. I'll make sure of it," Draugwen promised, laughing a little in spite of the tears that glittered in her eyes.

"I'll keep an eye on them, Mom. I promise. You won't have to worry about us," Wendy assured her. Draugwen smiled at her eldest daughter, the one that resembled her the most.

"I know you will, Wendy," Draugwen whispered. The tears that had been threatening to fall finally did, spilling over her cheeks and wetting her beard. Gimli stepped forward, putting a hand on his wife's back and nodding towards Legolas. The Elf looked impatient and ready to leave. Draugwen nodded to Gimli, then looked back at her children. 

Gimli said goodbye to his children in turn, and then the couple went to join Legolas on the deck of the sailboat. Before boarding, the three Dwarf children hugged Legolas, or "Uncle Leggy" as he was called by them. Draugwen was surprised to see a shimmering tear sliding down his cheek when he boarded. He was closer to her children than she believed. As he had never married and therefore never fathered any children, he had taken it upon himself to help raise Thorin, Wendy, and Galadriel. 

"All ready, then?" Legolas asked, his voice oddly husky. Gimli nodded, taking Draugwen's hand in his. Legolas prepared the ship to sail, then joined his two friends at the stern. As the ship began to sail away from the shore towards the wide horizon, they waved at the three half-Dwarf, half-human children who were left behind on shore. 

Draugwen turned her eyes skyward, but she was not truly looking at anything. In her mind she saw herself as a young girl, a "Ring geek" growing up in New York City. Through all her years on Earth, she had been dissatisfied with life in general and her life in particular. She never had many friends and instead made friends with the characters of Lord of the Rings, spending days on end fantasizing about living in Middle-earth. Never would she have guessed that one day those dreams would come true and she would end up finding love, friendship, acceptance, and happiness in a world so many regarded as make believe. 

Of course, the happiness had not come without pain. She grimaced in remembrance of her short jaunt as a Warg. The fear she invoked in people made her wish she had just died in that car crash. But then she met Legolas and later Gimli. They were the only ones willing to get to know her. Draugwen squeezed Gimli's hand, sharing a smile with her husband, then smiled at her best friend Legolas.

Her children were growing smaller and smaller by the second. Very soon they disappeared, being too far away for the naked eye to see. Draugwen's heart ached at having to leave them behind, but she knew that her time in Middle-earth was spent. Not many modern mortals ever saw that place, and the Valar liked to keep it that way. They wanted her close to them so they could keep an eye on her. Draugwen could feel their call as that far-off horizon drew ever nearer.

"I am glad you are both with me. Otherwise this would be a very lonely journey," Legolas commented, his voice very soft.

"We would not have it any other way, my friend," Gimli said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at Legolas.

"No matter what happens, you're stuck with us, Leggy," Draugwen teased.

"And nothing could make me happier," Legolas grinned.

"My sentiments exactly."

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**The End!**


End file.
